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The Lockheed Martin F-117a Nighthawk Profile

Official Name : Lockheed Martin F-117a Nighthawk

Mission : Surgical strikes on fortified or hard to reach targets with pinpoint accuracy.

Built : 1981 (First Production) and 59 aircraft were built

Built by : Lockeed's Skunk Works

First Flown : July 18th, 1981 at Groom Lake

Location Aircraft is Based or Commonly Found At : Nellis AFB, Beale AFB, Edwards AFB, Aviano AFB, Andrews AFB, Tonopah Test Range, Area 51, George AFB, Holloman AFB and King Khalid AFB

History :

Associated With : Lockheed Martin Corporation, Ben Rich, Kelly Johnson, Groom Lake Interceptors, Jim Goodall, Area 51, Tonopah Test Range and Nellis AFB Bombing and Gunnery Range

References :

Miscelaneous : The world's first pure stealth aircraft.

Power Plant : Two General Electric F404 engines

Length : 65 feet, 11 inches (20.3 meters)

Height : 12 feet, 5 inches (3.8 meters)

Weight : 52,500 pounds (23,625 kilograms)

Wingspan : 43 feet, 4 inches (13.3 meters)

Speed : High subsonic

Range : Unlimited with air refueling

Armament : Internal weapons carriage

Unit Cost : $45 million

Crew : One

Date Deployed : 1982

Inventory : Active force, 54; ANG, 0; Reserve, 0

Aspect Ratio about 4.3

Wing Area 1,140.00 sq. ft ( 105.9 m2 )

Frontal Radar Cross-section ( 0.01 to 0.001 m2 )

Propulsion Two General Electric F404-GE-F1D2 non-afterburning engines

Engine Thrust 10,800 lb. ( 48.04 kN )

Empty Weight 30,000 lb. ( 13608 kg )

Max. Take-off Weight 52,500 lb. ( 23814 kg )

Max. Ordnance Load 5,000 lb. ( 2268 kg )

Max. Speed, clean Just short of Mach 1

Max. Operational Speed 650 mph ( 1045 km/h )

Range with Max. Load 690 miles ( 1112 km )

Typical Weapon Load Two GBU-27 2,000 lb. ( 907 kg ) hardened laser guided bombs

Weapons Carried : GBU-12 500 lb. ( 227 kg ) and GBU-10 2,000 lb. ( 907 kg ) laser guided bombs. GBU-27 2,000 lb. ( 907 kg ) hardened laser guided bombs. Two AIM-9 Sidewinder air-air missiles. AGM-65 Maverick and HARM anti-radiation missiles.

Combat Performance in Operation Desert Storm

Number of F-117A nighthawks Available 36 then 42 after Day 9 of the War 1/26/91

Number of Sorties 1,271

Days of Campaign 43

Total Combat Flight Hours 6,900+

Average Mission Length 5.4 hours

Total Bombs Released 2,040

GBU-27 2000 lb (907 kg) 739

GBU-10 2000 lb. (907kg) GBU-12 500 lb. (227kg) 1,301

Number of Hits Claimed 1,677

Range of Miss Distances for 360 of the claimed bomb "hits" 1.6 m to 164.5 m

Range of Miss Distances for the 70 identified misses. 3.2 m to 178.1 m

Number of Misses Identified 70

Number of Hits Confirmed 1,140

Total Tonnage Dropped 1,990

1 Loss Over Serbia

Damage None

786 416th TFS "War Pig" 24

789 415th TFS "Black Magic"(formerly "Night Stalker") 31

790 415th TFS "Deadly Jester"(formerly "Obsidian") 30

791 415th TFS "Lazy Ace" 33

793 415th TFS "Wiley E. Coyote's Tritonal Express" 33

794 415th TFS "Delta Dawn" 35

796 415th TFS "Fatal Attraction" 29

797 416th TFS "Spell Bound" 8(fewest)

798 415th TFS "Aces and Eights" 34

799 416th TFS "Midnight Rider" 21

801 415th TFS "Perpetrator" 38

802 416th TFS "Black Magic" 19

803 416th TFS "Unexpected Guest" 33

806 415th TFS "Something Wicked" 39

807 415th TFS "The Chickenhawk" 14

808 415th TFS "Thor" 37

810 416th TFS "Dark Angel" 26

811 415th TFS "Double Down" 33

812 415th TFS Unnamed,flown by Brian "Axel" Foley 42(most)

813 416th TFS "The Toxic Avenger" 35

814 416th TFS "Final Verdict" 34

816 415th TFS "Lone Wolf" 39

817 416th TFS "Shaba" 18

818 415th TFS "The Overachiever" 38

819 416th TFS "Raven Beauty" 30

821 415th TFS "Sneak Attack" 32

825 415th TFS "Mad Max" 33

826 415th TFS "Nachtflake" 29

829 416th TFS "Avenging Angel" 23

830 416th TFS "Black Assassin" 31

832 416th TFS "Once Bitten" 30

833 416th TFS "Black Devil" 30

835 416th TFS "The Dragon" 26

836 416th TFS "Christine" 39

837 416th TFS "Habu II" 31

838 416th TFS "Magic Hammer" 36

839 415th TFS "Midnight Reaper" 39

840 416th TFS "Black Widow" 32

841 416th TFS "Mystic Warrior" 18

842 416th TFS "It's Hammertime" 33

843 415th TFS "Affectionately Christine" 33

TC